Romania has many breathtaking natural sceneries and a long list of attractions that make it worth exploring on your next holiday. If you’re looking for a destination where the entire family can have fun and learn something new, Romania will surprise you with plenty of great places and a variety of things to do that you can’t find somewhere else and will keep your kids entertained. From medieval castles to waterparks, from national reservations to museums that kids will love, here are the top Romanian destinations to include on your family vacation:
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Visit Dracula’s Castle
This list couldn’t start with anything other than Bran Castle, Transylvania’s most famous attraction, which has become so widely known due to the castle’s association with count Dracula. Although you won’t get to see any vampires roaming around, this won’t make your experience any less enjoyable since the castle does come with a strong medieval feeling and a fascinating history that will make your kids curious. Once you step inside, you’ll discover a creepy and very old interior unlike anything your kids have ever seen: winding staircases and corridor mazes will give you the feeling that you might come across a scary figure during your tour before stumbling into rooms showcasing medieval decorations and life.
Visit Dracula’s Castle
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Peles Castle
While Bran Castle might be popular for its connection to vampire stories, you shouldn’t miss Peles Castle from your itinerary. We all know how much kids like fairytales and once you show them a picture of Peles Castle there’s no way to not go there! Formerly the Summer residence of the Royal Family, the inside of the castle is so beautifully decorated and preserved that your kids will feel like they’ve entered the home of their favorite prince or princess. There are tours in Brasov that will take you to visit the castle and having a guide will be a great opportunity learn about our country’s fascinating history.
Peles Castle
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Spend a day at Brasov’s Parc Aventura
If you’re still in the Brasov area you should look into visiting Parc Aventura, a place of excitement and adrenaline that children in particular will enjoy. With over 180 games and 14 tracks of varying difficulty, this huge outdoor adventure site incorporates climb up ladders, hang on wires, zip lines over the lake and many other thrilling features. There are routes available for children of all ages, so even if your kids are under 8 years old they’ll be able to engage in some fun games.
Parc Aventura
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Go on a day trip on Transfagarasan Road
Reaching up to 2046 meters in altitude and stretching over 90 kilometers, driving on Transfagaran Road’s twists and turns is something your family shouldn’t miss out on. The road features several twists and turns before reaching Balea lake at its highest point. The entire drive on this beautiful mountain pass is filled with places where you should stop and admire the breathtaking views of Transylvania and towering crests of Fagaras Mts. The jaw-dropping beautiful scenery will make this driving experience one of the most spectacular road trips you will remember!
Transfagarasan Road
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Visit rescued bears at Libearty Bear Sanctuary
Established to offer shelter for bears exploited, abandoned or mistreated, Libearty Bear Sanctuary rescued over 70 bears which are now hosted in a protected forested area with habitat conditions appropriate for them. Visiting this 70 hectares hazel and oak forest in the Carpathian Mountains located close to the town of Zarnesti will give your kids the opportunity to see and learn about the life of bears up-close on a guided tour. Keep in mind that Libearty Sanctuary is not a zoo and its purpose is to educate people and future generations of the importance of protecting wildlife. Seeing happy bears in their natural environment isn’t something you can do any day, so it’s certainly worth the trip and kids are always fascinated.
Libearty Bear Sanctuary
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A couple of hours at Turda Salt Mine
Being one of the oldest salt mines in the world, Salina Turda should be on your Romanian must-see list. Once you step inside you will discover a fascinating underground world beautifully decorated with ambient lights and – to much surprise – an amusement park that will keep the entire family busy. The museum, the Ferris wheel, the underground lake or various play areas – choose your favorite!
Turda Salt Mine
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Check out “Lucia Condrea” International Museum of Painted Eggs
If you get to Bucovina region during your holiday in Romania, make sure to check out the Lucia Condrea International Museum of Painted Eggs in Moldovita. Egg painting is a traditional and very old Romanian craft carefully preserved in this region and at the museum you will find an impressive collection with over 5000 painted eggs on display. This place is the ideal spot if you are visiting the country near Easter when eggs are painted. You can even join an egg-painting workshop – kids will love the experience!
International Museum of Painted Eggs
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The Painted Monasteries of Bucovina
If the Museum of Painted Eggs made you fall in love with Bucovina and you’d like to explore this region a little bit more, you should also go on a tour to see the famous UNESCO Painted Monasteries. Your children will enjoy looking at the colorful buildings while you and your spouse can admire their intricate artwork and hear stories of how these monasteries were founded and painted. All 8 of them are quite impressive, but if you don’t have time to see all of them the top three choices should be Voronet, Moldovita and Sucevita Monastery.
Painted Monasteries of Bucovina
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Go on a train ride from Otravita to Anina while in Banat
If you think there’s nothing that can get your kids excited about trains that’s because they haven’t been on a slow and scenic train ride, like the one between Oravita-Anina in Banat region, close to Timisoara. This is the oldest mountain railway in South-Eastern Europe and, make no mistake, it isn’t your usual boring train ride. Travelling at 35 km/h and two hours long, you will pass tunnels, bridges, and viaducts with views of picturesque valleys, traditional villages and Banat’s impressive mountain scenery. You won’t feel the hours go by and your kids will be entertained by the many things they will see!
from Otravita to Anina while in Banat
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Explore the Danube Delta
Children are known to be wildlife enthusiasts and there is no better place in Romania to discover a well-preserved habitat with rare species of birds and plants than the Danube Delta. A UNESCO biosphere reservation, the Delta is a magical garden crisscrossed by canals and dotted with fisherman villages. There are plenty family-friendly activities to do during your stay there – go on bird-watching tours, take your kids to the summer open-air film festival Anonimul or teach them how paddle a kayak or fish – there’s no better place for that!
Explore the Danube Delta
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Head to Constanta and check out the city’s abandoned Casino
Situated on the shores of the Black Sea, the abandoned Casino building in Constanta is an attraction that will impress the entire family. As you contemplate this magnificent-buy-decaying building that once used to be Constanta’s Monte Carlo, you can imagine how glamorous evenings in the 1930s used to be. After a peaceful walk along the Black Sea promenade (and hundreds of amazing selfies later!), make sure to check out the Delfinarium – the kids will surely enjoy seeing dolphins do all sorts of tricks!
abandoned Casino building in Constanta
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A beach break in Mamaia
While the Carpathian Mountains of Romania offer plenty of things to do, if your kids love swimming, sunbathing and playing in the sand, why not spend a few days at the beach? The resort of Mamaia just North of Constanta is a popular choice, but other family-friendly resorts such as Neptun, Navodari, Olimp or Jupiter are just as good. The Black Sea is calm and its shores is with fine golden sands perfect for building sand castles. Or spend a day at the waterpark in Constanta for some amazing waterslides your kids will love!
beach break in Mamaia
